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Kowhaiwhai

Like the patterns of nature, kowhaiwhai reveals a new mystery through every curve and every turn flowing like an endless river into the sea.

“Waikato Taniwharau, he piko he taniwha he piko he taniwha”

On every bend of the river a taniwha can be found. Waikato of one hundred taniwha.

A famous saying referring to the many chiefs and tribes living in and around the Waikato River, a river sacred to the Tainui people. As a child I always new it had a special significance, and that it held history and meaning that was beyond my comprehension.

Even when I was young I had a vivid imagination. Standing on the edge of the river I would visualise thick mist sitting on the surface of the water. I would imagine that from out of the mist Māori warriors would appear in war canoes paddling upstream. The haunting echo of their chanting could be heard far off in the distance as they made their way up the river.

By the bank were winding tracks leading to the waters edge. My brothers and I would run through the tracks screaming and yelling pretending we were warriors. My childhood fantasy would transport me hundreds of years back in time when my ancestors walked the same river surrounded by the beautiful native trees and bushes.